Careful experiments have been made in foreign armies with the use of the "cut-off" in military magazine rifles, and the decided opinion of many leading experts is that the use of the "cut-offs" which call for two classes of fire is con fusing and undesirable in a crisis. Where the magazinc can be kept filled, with cut-off worked automatically, and a steady fire as an effective single loader tained, the utmost power of a million. arm is obtained for general service. The main point to be secured is an unfailing single loader, and to have this quality supported by a magazine charged with say five cartridges, always ready when called upon in an emergency for instant and unfailing delivery. Such a magazine rifle in its perfection verv closely reaches the ideal.
A principal feature in the author's System, is the accessibility of the action and magazine for cleaning and examination. The entire arm may be dismounted and assembled in two minutes, the only tool needed being a screw-driver. All the ex cellent features of the Blake rifle in conjunction with numerous other patents and improvements will be noted in the System as follows: t. The handle of the bolt turns down at the side of the stock and is out of the way in handling the grip. 2. The working of the bolt is more convenient and easy than any method of han dling a repeater. 3. The arm may be cocked by simply raising the handle and re turning it without withdrawing the bolt. .4. There is no end spring pressure set ting tip the bullets or shortening the cartridges, as in rifles with tubular maga zines. 5. Cartridges may vary in length to the extent of a quarter of an inch, en abling the user to vary the weight of bullet and charges of powder. 6. Bullets with round or pointed ends may be used, as the cartridges are not disposed in front of each other and liable to have their primers exploded by the point of the bullet in the rear. 7. The combination of all the advantages of single shot rifles and repeaters into one ann. 8. \Vhen the bolt action is removed from the receiver, which can be done almost instantly, the breech is open so that the rifled bore of the barrel can be readily examined and cleaned. 9. The empty shell when extracted and ejected, is thrown to the right and away front the operator. to. The breech mechanism can be taken apart and a new main spring and extractor substituted and replaced in a few seconds between shots, without the use of any tools. H. Great simplicity and great strength of breech closing, there being but one piece to resist the strain of firing. 12. The packet is large enough to give a good finger hold, and in cold weather, with gloves or mittens on, may be readily put into the magazine. 13. The magazine may be quickly opened to examine, fill or remove the packet, or to replace any cartridges that have been fired. 14. 'Pile flanged base of the shell is completely surrounded by the cup shaped end of the bolt at the firing, position, so that in case of a ruptured shell or primer pierced by the firing pin. the gas is prevented from blowing back in the face of the operator. 15. The mechan ism being so accessible, dirt or sand getting into the action may be removed and the arm e,..aned by the hands alone, if necessary. 16. Accuracy shooting is as sured by the strain of firing,, being properly distributed in the breech. t7. Not liable to explosions in the magazine. 18. The barrel and receiver may be removed from the stock in three minutes by the use of a screw-driver. It may be mounted in the same time. 19. Carrying- seven cartridges in the rifle; more than any mod ern rifle. 20. Fifty shots may, be fired by an expert in onc minute. 2 I. In case of jammed cartridges due to double loading. the jam may be instantly removed by opening the magazine door. 22. Double extractors. 23. No slight of hand per formance is required to load the rifle, and no artful dodging to prevent the ejected shell striking the eye. 24. A number of loaded packets may be carried, or the same packet may be kept in the magazine and refilled many times with single cart ridges. 25. The arm may be fired from the shoulder easily and rapidly. 26. No danger of cutting or jamming the fingers as with lever actions. 27. The entire artn is so simple that any gunsmith or mechanic can put it in order or make any extra parts.
The mechanism is extremely simple. The receiver has on its left-hand side a broad and deep groove for the passage of the left locking lug of the bolt, and on the right a shoulder for the extractor and right locking lug- of the bolt. The bot tom is cut away to permit the upward and forward movement of cartridges from the magazine. The forward breech casing contains the grooves for the four lock ing lugs of the bolt. At the rear the breech casing is closed for a short distance at the top and at its rear has a cam which starts back the bolt when rotating to unlock and open. The bolt, which has a handle turning down at the side of the stock,
consists of the body, the cocking piece and sleeve, the firing-pin and spring and the extractor ; the firing-pin and striker are in one piece, the shoulder of the striker and the front face of the sleeve form the two bearings for the main spring. The extractor consists of the hook and body. The hook rests between the shoulders of the body to which it is secured by a stud and is easily removed and replaced. A second extractor or shell-starter is used near the front end of the receiver. The ejector is pivoted on the left part of the breech casing and throws out the empty shell to the right by a blow on its side, communicated by the left lug of the bolt. The magazine casing consists of a cylindrical box placed below the receiver. Its bottom is hinged at the left side and when closed is secured by a catch. The cart ridge packet has at its front and rear ends trunnions, which rest in beds in the front and rear faces of the casing. When the bolt is operated the cartridge packet is operated by a revolver movement. The "cut-off" is on the left of the stock op posite the bolt handle, and when single loading fire only is desired, depresses an arm so that the bolt will pass over without operating the cartridge packet. If it is desired to load the magazine and hold it in reserve, the bolt must first be closed. then opening the casing, placing the packet with its trunnions in their beds, and closing the casing, the packet will be forced to take proper position. Then with the magazine cut off. single loader fire can be delivered. The cut-off can be oper ated when the bolt is open or entirely or partly closed. Presuming the piece to have been fired. turning up the handle throws in consequence of the cam on the rear of bolt the nose, the cocking; piece and therefore the firing, pin to the rear al most fully cocking- the piece. \Viten the upward moving of the handle is a little OVCT half completed, its base by the inclined surface of the shoulder on the breech casing is moved slowly back, starting the bolt to the rear and loosening; the empty shell with a powerful screw motion. The upward movement of the handle having been completed, the bolt is now drawn completely back, ejecting the empty shell and the cartridge packet in the magazine is moved through one-sixth of a revolu tion. bringring, another cartridg,e up in front of the bolt. Reversing; the movement of the bolt, the cartridge is pushed out of the packet up into the receiver and then into the chamber of the barrel, and. as the bolt 'handle is turned down at the side of the stock, the cartridge is firmly seated by a screw motion and the recoil or lock ing ltig,s seated in front of the shoulders of the casing. With a little practice the movements of the bolt blend into two only, one back the other forward.
The piece cannot be fired unless fully locked, for if the trigger is pulled before the locking; lugs are properly seated the action of the nose of the cocking piece on the side of the cam of the bolt will throw the latter to the right, seating the lugs before the point of the firing pin reaches the primer. The bolt cannot revolve when the trigger is pulled, as an arm of the sear rises into a slot cut on the bottom of bolt, thus preventing its rotation under the strain of firing and preventing the bolt opening by any possibility, as long as the trig,grer is held back.
When being used as a single loader with a full or empty packet in the magazine, the cartridge may be simply dropped into the receiver and the bolt will push the cartridge into the chamber of the barrel. It is not necessary to push the cartridges home with the fingers. The arm may thus be fired very rapidly as a single loader. The packet in the magazine may be recharged at any time with single cartridg,es and is the only one that need be used unless continuous rapid fire is desired, when numher of loaded packets may be carried in the pockets or the belt. Packets weigh empty 2'=I oz. For transportation when not carried in loops of the belt, a wire, a band of tin, or a band of tough paper may be placed around front ends of the cartridges in the packet. thus holding them solidly.
The carbine and revolver are convertible after the manner of the Borchardt combination rifle and pistol.
Single cartridges may be charged into the packet or magazine at any time, or the charged packet may be instantly removed. It is claimed that the bolt action with handle at the side, aside from its simplicity and strength and lightness, is superior to a finger lever in rapidity and in power to put in and take out cartridges from the chamber. It certainly takes up less room, leaves the grip perfectly clear of any obstructions, and can be worked in a more confined space.